Device and cartridge for skin treatment

Abstract

Described herein is a handheld skin treatment device ( 10 ) that delivers electromagnetic and/or electrical energy and fluid to a person's skin via a surface region ( 34 ) on the device; and a replaceable cartridge ( 40 ). The cartridge has a spout ( 42 ) having a tip ( 44 ). The device ( 10 ) has a locating feature ( 70 ) to position a tip at an opening ( 39 ) within the surface region. The spout may have a bend ( 53 ) and/or may meet a barrel of the cartridge at a location ( 51 ) that is laterally offset with respect to central longitudinal axis ( 47 ) of the barrel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A handheld skin treatment device configured to deliver fluid and any of: a) an electromagnetic energy b) an electrical energy and c) both the electromagnetic energy and the electrical energy to a person's skin via a surface region on the device, the device comprising:
 a device body comprising:
 a head comprising the surface region; and 
 a cartridge containment portion comprising a container holding portion, and a path through the head, the path having a distal end, the distal end having an opening within the surface region; 
 wherein the cartridge containment portion has a locating feature; and 
 
 a replaceable fluid cartridge secured in the cartridge containment portion and having a rigid cartridge body that includes a spout extending through the path, 
 wherein the locating feature positions a tip of the spout at the opening; 
 wherein the locating feature comprises a stop in the distal end of the path, wherein the spout has a distal end abutting the stop to position the tip of the spout at the opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the locating feature positions the tip beneath a distal part of the surface region such that the tip does not protrude from the head. 
     
     
       3. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the stop is provided by an inward tapering of the path in the distal end of the path. 
     
     
       4. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the stop seals against the distal end of the spout. 
     
     
       5. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the stop abuts the distal end of the spout by abutting the tip of the spout. 
     
     
       6. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the spout is elongate and includes a bend. 
     
     
       7. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein a wall of the path has a bend, but the path is shaped to include a line of sight through a channel. 
     
     
       8. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the head includes:
 a plurality of electrodes wherein the device is configurable to selectively deliver the electrical energy and wherein the electrical energy comprises radiofrequency (RF) or electroporation treatment energy; and 
 one or more light sources for delivering low-level laser light therapy (LLLT) treatment energy, 
 wherein the one or more lights sources are positioned to emit light from within a region surrounded by the plurality of electrodes. 
 
     
     
       9. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the path comprises an elongate channel. 
     
     
       10. The skin treatment device according to  claim 8 , wherein said opening in the surface region is an opening in a part having an appearance as one of said plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
       11. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein a wall of the device body is displaceable to expose the container holding portion to allow the cartridge to be replaced, wherein at least during replacement the head is fixedly connected to a portion of the body that includes the container holding portion. 
     
     
       12. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to output an indication to a user indicating that the device should be moved from one side of a face of the person to another side of the face. 
     
     
       13. The skin treatment device according to  claim 1 , wherein the spout is integrally formed with the rigid cartridge body. 
     
     
       14. A handheld skin treatment device configured to deliver fluid and any of: a) an electromagnetic energy b) an electrical energy and c) both the electromagnetic energy and the electrical energy to a person's skin via a surface region on the device, the device comprising:
 a device body comprising:
 a head comprising the surface region; and 
 a cartridge containment portion comprising a container holding portion, and a path through the head, the path having a distal end, the distal end having an opening within the surface region; 
 wherein the cartridge containment portion has a locating feature; a replaceable fluid cartridge secured in the cartridge containment portion and having a rigid cartridge body that includes a spout extending through the path, wherein the locating feature positions a tip of the spout at the opening wherein the device body further comprises: 
 at least one sensor for sensing an identification on the replaceable fluid cartridge; 
 a motor for driving an actuator against the replaceable fluid cartridge to eject fluid from the replaceable fluid cartridge via the opening; and 
 a processing system configured to:
 detect the identification using the at least sensor; 
 drive delivery of any of: the electromagnetic energy, the electrical energy and both the electromagnetic energy and the electrical energy according to a selected one of a plurality of energy types; and 
 based at least in part on the detected identification, control the motor in manner tailored to said selected one of the plurality of energy types. 
 
 
 
     
     
       15. A handheld skin treatment device configured to deliver fluid and at least any of: a) an electromagnetic energy b) an electrical energy and c) both the electromagnetic energy and the electrical energy to a person's skin via a surface region on the device, the device comprising:
 a device body comprising:
 a head comprising the surface region; 
 a cartridge containment portion comprising a container holding portion, and a path through the head, the path having a distal end, the distal end having an opening within the surface region; 
 
 a replaceable fluid cartridge secured in the cartridge containment portion and having a rigid cartridge body that includes a spout extending through the path; and 
 a processing system configured to limit a motor to execute a fluid ejection procedure only once for the replaceable fluid cartridge; 
 wherein the cartridge containment portion has a locating feature; 
 wherein the locating feature positions a tip of the spout at the opening.